Teen accused of extortion over nude photos; Mom says case is about race

[zenkai]

Source

CORNELIUS, NC (WBTV) -

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a 17-year-old from Cornelius who used to attend to Hough High School, and is accused of extorting three female students for nude photos.

Tyler Jevon Woods is accused of three counts of extortion. Sources told WBTV that Woods has moved back to Michigan and was not at his Cornelius home when police went there to serve the warrants.

The case began in July when a Pennsylvania college student, who used to attend Hough High, said she received several nude photos of herself in an email. The victim said that the sender threatened to publish the photos unless she sent more nude pictures.

Authorities said they found other current Hough High students who also received similar emails. According to a warrant obtained in September, it appeared that a couple of the students complied with the threats in fear that the photos would be released.

The victims ranged in age from 14 to 18 years old, according to the warrant.

"My issue is the young girls are wrong. The young men are wrong. Why is my son the only one that is being bothered, being charged" Woods' mother said.

The mother, who doesn't want her name revealed, said after her son, Tyler Woods, was expelled from Hough High - she sent him back to Michigan to be with family and be home schooled.

She said she's trying to get him back to North Carolina because the arrest warrant was issued. Police said they are also working to have Woods extradited back to face his charges.

The mother said she’s angry her son is bearing the brunt for the extortion.

CMS Police said some students evidently sent a friend nude photos of themselves. Investigators said some of those female students later received Instagram messages from an unknown person demanding more nude photos. If they didn’t comply – the unknown person threatened to post their initial photos online.

Woods' mother said police told her they traced the IP address back to her place. She says they questioned her 17 year old son while he was in school, and a detective came to her home when she wasn’t there.

She believes police illegally seized her son's electronics.

The mother told WBTV she also has a problem with how the case was handled. She said it was her son’s friend – who is white – who got the nude photos from his girlfriends. She says school officials knew about it.

"If race wasn’t a factor this would have been handled in February and April when they knew for a fact this other young man was disseminating these photos," she said. "He got a slap on the hand, got kicked out for a few days, was able to graduate and join the army.”

She said when she learned about her son's case, "The first thing I said to my son - how did you get all these photos? And he said well, he knows a lot of girls and they sent him photos."

According to the woman, that friend taught her son how to blackmail the girls.

"My son he needs to know what he did was wrong but he's seeing it from a race perspective. And, even the young girls are being called victims. How are you a victim? The young girls started this" she said.

The mother said her son became involved in July, and stopped demanding more nude photos in August because he felt bad. She claimed her son never had any intentions of exposing the girls.

She said she confiscated his phone and tablet for a month, and then installed a family plan that had all communication to and from his phone - come through her phone.

Now, that her son is facing criminal charges - she wants to know what about the other students.

"At least investigate these other children," she said. "You're not going to do nothing to them?"

WBTV is still working to find out if this case is connected to a similar investigation that took place earlier this year.

In February, another investigation began after police say dozens of naked photos of Charlotte-area teen girls began circulating around a high school via a public website.

According to a police report from earlier this year, officers say a Dropbox file contained 75 pictures of naked female students from Hough.

Students told WBTV some of the people in the photos are freshman girls. Detectives said the youngest victim was just 14-years-old.

The pictures were all voluntarily and made off school grounds, according to police. The files began appearing online in mid-December and police began investigating on January 4.

Unfortunately, police said, the link was accessed by various people on the Hough High School campus.

Detectives said the Dropbox link has been taken down. They also said they have identified the student who created it.

1. I can't believe people send nudes in this day and age... seriously

2. How are the young girls in the wrong? Bad judgment yes but in the wrong? I don't think so

3. Mother said she confiscated his tablet and phone for a month LOL, if my son had done this he still wouldn't have a phone or tablet or computer, or ps,xbox, etc. I Don't think she realize how serious of an offense this is, and not just morally.

[Ilir]

ehm isn't nudes of 14 years old girls considered as child porn ?

[GennGreymane]

Sounds like shes aiding since there is a warrant out and she sent him out of state. Possible chargers can be brought on her too.

[Deleted]

ehm isn't nudes of 14 years old girls considered as child porn ?

Yes, and the children that took them could also be found liable for the creation and distribution of child porn.

What a messed up situation.

[Super Kami Dende]

Yawn. Because everything is about race right? not the fact he was actually busted with underage girls nudes in his possessions.

[ItachiZaku]

ehm isn't nudes of 14 years old girls considered as child porn ?

Yeah, and the girls should also be arrested for having taken them and possessing them.

[Thanatoid]

Source



1. I can't believe people send nudes in this day and age... seriously

2. How are the young girls in the wrong? Bad judgment yes but in the wrong? I don't think so

3. Mother said she confiscated his tablet and phone for a month LOL, if my son had done this he still wouldn't have a phone or tablet or computer, or ps,xbox, etc. I Don't think she realize how serious of an offense this is, and not just morally.

If a young lady or young man sends nude selfies they are indeed wrong as they are distributing Child Pornography. Last time I heard that is indeed illegal and wrong in every sense of the word.

[GennGreymane]

Yes, and the children that took them could also be found liable for the creation and distribution of child porn.

What a messed up situation.

I thinks not warranted (the case of minors sending nudes in general). Children are dumb. Children are not very experienced. Children are a bit too trusting with their school crushes. The law should be changed

[Sylvestra]

Stupid girls sending nudes lol

[Sunseeker]

This mother is delusional.

It's rare we agree but holy shit this lady.

[muto]

Yeah, and the girls should also be arrested for having taken them and possessing them.

No they shouldn't be. Most kids act before they think, because they're still immature. The law is really lenient if you're under 18, because they know kids do dumb things.

[Independent voter]

Mothers usually defend their children.

[Taeldorian]

Yeah I mean it's only natural for her to defend her child. What kind of parent wouldn't? Yeah punish your kid, but it's still your kid. Yeah he should probably get charged for this and maybe jail time, but the girls took them and sent them it's not like they were forced. Their choice their consequence, at least in my opinion. His choice his consequence as well, both sides should have consequences.

[Ærion]

He dindu nuffin, he a good boy!

Sigh, not touching this shit, too many variables at play... Idiot girls taking nudies, idiot braggart spreading them around, chickenshit school trying their best to seem ignorant, and the typical black mother that will defend her idiot extortionist son to the end.

I really wish Cersei's walk of shame would be a valid method of punishment... I'd subject all of them to it.

[zenkai]

Mothers usually defend their children.

Defending your child when they are in the wrong is what is wrong with society today, ask any teacher what they are going through with parents like that.

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Yeah I mean it's only natural for her to defend her child. What kind of parent wouldn't? Yeah punish your kid, but it's still your kid. Yeah he should probably get charged for this and maybe jail time, but the girls took them and sent them it's not like they were forced. Their choice their consequence, at least in my opinion. His choice his consequence as well, both sides should have consequences.

Taking nudes and sharing them around is way different than extorting someone for more nudes

[Beazy]

Both kids need their phones taken away and grounded for a good three or four weeks. Taking away their phone is a punishment on par with torture in the Iron Maiden. Little dumb asses wont know what to do with life if they cant check facebook.

[Jotaux]

Well, all parties are clearly in the wrong but I think blackmailing a minor for more nude pictures is way worse than sending someone a nude photo. The young women could be considered just dumb as fuck for sending naked pics at that age but really I don't think they should face punishment for it aside from what their parents decide. Blackmailing someone is clearly worse and malicious.

[I Push Buttons]

Defending your child when they are in the wrong is what is wrong with society today, ask any teacher what they are going through with parents like that.

That may be true for petty shit... But her son is facing multiple counts of felony extortion... Multiple counts of possessing child pron... Maybe even felony evading arrest since he left the state... If he talked with others about doing it then conspiracy... A litany of charges are coming down on him...

He could face years in prison and then he will become a registered sex offender when he gets out... His life is literally over... She is grasping at straws and I feel any parent who loves their child would do that.

Expecting a parent who genuinely loves their kid to just give up and agree that their kid's life is over without a fight is entirely unreasonable.

[Paarthurnax]

Has a mother ever thrown their son/daughter under the bus after they get caught doing something bad?

[Deleted]

'That's racist!'

case dismissed, sorry to have bothered you ma'am